Press Release

Who benefits? Food and beverage companies and contract packers looking for a robust and versatile system for shrink sleeve labeling and multipacking.

PDC International Corporation has introduced a multipacker based on its popular R-250 Evolution shrink sleeve labeler. With new features, it gains substantial added versatility for food, beverage and other sanitary environments.

The R-250 Evolution Multipacker is a robust system, built for continuous use. Construction features include an optional welded stainless steel frame and complete stainless steel construction for direct wash-down.

The R-250 Multipacker can apply fully printed shrink sleeves to pairs of containers from 1 to 4.5 inches each in diameter and up to 10 inches in height. The system uses oval mandrels, which match the footprint of the packages and maintains very precise side-to-side graphic orientation for maximum shelf appeal.

The R-250 is distinctive in that it uses PDC’s proprietary blade assembly. Engineered as a longer-lived alternative to “spinning knives,” this proprietary cutting solution lasts months, not days, and is a formidable alternative to the fragile knife configurations used in most conventional sleeving systems.

The R-250 is controlled with an Allen-Bradley CompactLogix PLC, Touch Screen and Servos. Among the R-250’s options are barcode scanners, vision systems and a wide range of convection, infrared and steam shrink tunnels.

The R-250 Multipacker performs double duty as a shrink sleeve labeler and applies full sleeve shrink labels at speeds of 50 to 300 containers per minute. Mandrels, feed screws, and other change parts can all be switched out quickly with a tool-less changeover feature and menu-driven parameters on the touch screen.

Containers can be filled or empty, and virtually any size or shape. PVC, PETG, OPS and PLA labels, in gauges as thin as 30 – 40 micron are all compatible.

The R-250 Evolution is a heavy-duty packaging solution engineered for maximum flexibility. Systems can be built with optional modules for vertical and horizontal perforations (important for consumer tamper evidence), and date coding. The standard sensor package includes material-out, film feed jam sensors and upstream photo-eyes; it can be enhanced to identify jams downstream, fallen bottles, low air pressure and other anomalies, and provide detailed machine status indication.

Two options that are particularly relevant for continuous production environments are a second unwind reel, and a zero-downtime, splice-on-the-fly accumulator that allows roll changes without halting production. An articulating splice table for rapid and precise roll splicing is standard equipment as part of an R-250 system.

Demonstrations of the R-250 Multipacker can be arranged at the PDC research lab, where system performance can be demonstrated on containers using standard and thin films, and various production speeds. Contact Gary Tantimonico, 203-853-1516 or sales@pdc-corp.com. PDC International Corp. Norwalk, CT. www.pdc-corp.com.